Wheeled gun carriage adapted to be transformed rapidly into a gun carriage for firing upon aircraft



Feb. 7, 1933. NE. METHLIN 1,896,911

' WHEELED GUN CARRIAGE ADAPTED TO BE TRANSFORMED RAPIDLY INTO A GUNCARRIAGE FOR FIRING UPON AIRCRAFT Filed Nov. 13, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet l F1933- N. E. METHLIN WHEELED GUN CARRIAGE ADAPTED TO BE TRANSFORMEDRAPIDLY INTO A GUN CARRIAGE FOR FIRING UPON AIRCRAFT Filed Nov. 13, 19316 Sheets-Sheet 2 N. E. METHLIN Feb. 7, 1933.

WHEELED GUN CARRIAGE ADAPTED TO BE TRANSFORMED RAPIDLY INTO A GUNCARRIAGE FOR FIRING UPON AIRCRAFT Filed NOV. 13, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 3N.. E. METHLIN 1,896,911 E ADAPTED TO BE TRANSFORMED RAPID Feb. 7, 1933.

WHEELED GUN GARRIAG INTO A GUN CARRIAGE FOR FIRING UPON AIRCRAFT FiledNov. 13, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 N. E. METHLIN Filed Nov.13, 1931- INTO A GUN CARRIAGE FOR FIRING UPON AIRCRAFT Feb. 7, 1933.

WHEELED GUN CARRIAGE ADAPTED TO BE TRANSFORMED RAPIDLY 1933- v N. E.METHLlN 1,896,911

WHEELED GUN CARRIAGE ADAPTED TO BE TRANSFORMED RAPIDLY INTO A GUNCARRIAGE FOR FIRING UPON AIRCRAFT Filed Nov. 13, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 6IIIIIJIIIIIIII Patented Feb. 1,1933

: PATENT momsfam aammm, or" PARISfFR-ANCE, ASSIGNOR To scnnnnmn & 011 or1 .jrAnrs, rmmon; A COMPANY or FRANCE y wrrnELEnenn-omnmen AnA'rrEn r BErmmsronivrnn RAPIIDLY 1M0 A GUN' M ,oAnnrnen-ron FIRING oron AIRCRAFT iApplication filed :nove beria' 1931, Serial No. 574,906,'and inFrance'June 10, 1931. a

I x a Guns mounted upon'a rain Cf fw rand having a relativelyvWidegfield of fire, both in elevation and in azimuth, are kIl0W11g;Th8$ e guns comprise'a system of trails pivoted to i a head plateor to,the' axle, of a gun carriage v and adapted to be spreadout to form alarge a anchoring base at therearof the gun in order to mount thelatterinj battery position the a. f 'horizontalfield of fireis limi d bytheangle +10 iformedlbetween theanohored trails, While the limits of aimin elevation are such as to permit 1 the "gun to be employed for firingon aerial targets. These ,guns,j.however, are not per- 7 vfectlyfsuitableifoif firinguponsuchtargets,

V :vieW, of the ,factlthattheir horizontal field of fire gis limited inhem nn r exp Otherlguns aretalso' known rhatar y i l v v suitable forfiringiupon aerial targets and for this purposehaveanaunlimitedfield ofair in azimuth. Thesev gunsarefznot normally adaptedyfor firing u'porrwheels; ,"They zmost vVgmemlly i'a platform provided with arms,arranged' as, near the ground: as possible.- so as to: allowthe gunrecoi ling on have complete freedom to: recoil, Whatever oscillatingmassacan, by pivoting onthe plat- V iorm,--isvveepi'overiithe whole ofthe horizon and the oscillating mass can recoil suitably on the'guncarriagevvhilethe gun can betrained A V :ivithout the anchoring'armsofthe platform impeding the recoil.- :V V.

Guns. mounted'ron Wheels and having a i large field of-i'firepwhich areprovided with idisplaceabletrails, can; betowed by coupling-zdire'ctly,on to the closeditrails; or= theyf can be employedforffiring; on .Wheels'and be .7 rapidly brought intoFt-he travellingposition by simply raising the trails and bringing to gethrtheir ends.which will then be coupled rangement'islrowni diagrammaticallyi in Eig-I V ums-11m 4, which. figures :1, e15 bis; and 1 represent,diagrammatically in battery: posieon a 1 gun having two" trails, ilwhileFigures 3v and' 4: show the gun inthe travelling PQSiI- tiomgin ivvhiohthe closed. "trails have been beethe "direction irinvhich} itisfltrainedrin y f "other:words thefcarriage, Winch-(33.11185 the :up toa 'limber for example. This is'the arlder of that possessed by theexisting twopivoted about their forward clmie tio-n near the axle, andraised to a, suitable level a: above the ground, which is necessaryiniorder that theguncan betransported normally over the most variedkinds of ground.

As stated above, those guns which fire on a platform and permit thewhole horizon to be covered have the advantage of possessing ahorizontal arc of fire of 360; but on the clearthat such a gun, in orderto be brought Into the travelling positionandmounted upon a transportvehicle, mustibe-raised and secured tothe vehicle at a suitableheight,in order *to permit it to travel over uneven ground as indicated above.'7

In order to change over from the normal firing position to thetravelling position, it

is consequently necessary to perform relatively important and lengthyoperations which can in'no Way be compared With thesimplefoperation oflifting the trails of a gun mounted on Wheels and having a, Wide fieldoffire. v i 1- The present invention relates to an artillery gundesigned in such a Way as to permit practical use to be made of theadvantages possessed by each of the types of gun mentioned above,Without; on" the other'hand retaining their disadvantages. In otherords, the gun is sodesign'edthat, immediately the trails are lowered,the 99 gun is ready for firing oncwheels at a target situated at anyaltitude and with either a restricted horizontal fieldof fire or with awide'horizontal field of fire of the or- 5 trail guns. Finally,* tliegunisa'dapted to be transformed immediately into a: gun capable offiring over the'wholecircle'of the horizon,"by simply removing thewheels; the

change-over from the" firing position to the 100 travelling position cenbe made very easily and 'very rapidly with this gun, by simply-slippi-ngthe wheels on'their stubaxles and "simply lifting the trails,the operations be-, 1v ing,plfecticellyiqlmost as. rapid e's those car-I I rie'd ou't when changing over from't'he firingg.

sit-ioni into the travelling position inguns ring exclusively onwheels,,oniaccountof thepructically'totel suppression of the yer tical displ I"thefihe'ad plate or the "saddle to' 'whichf the iplit trails erepivoted is constructed in the (i rm' 'o'ffl ajring' -formin a guidetruck" for the top, carr age, on which the I oscillating ,mass isjournalled, thelz'atter being 'tdaptetl {to engagelinthe ringvfor',the'e'asy recoil; l 1- of,- the]barrel in all, positions'of"elevationiand*direction. Thefseddle, which forms the r.

front part of the system oft-rails, may be supportedfon thewheel trainin any Suitable manner, fior exarnplein" the known mannerlongitudinalpivot permitting Ta trens- ;o sc illati'on of the wheelsystem e chr unj may, 'aswill'fb n' hreinand L to v' beirepidltransformed ijnto a i i J "capable offs'weepln the whole circle offthe Hhorizon which "itse year; be i et-ransforined: v very'easily andrapidlyintoa' un niounted g 1 r on'whee'ls, for tran'sport-{andtravelling,

: i With aview' to its transformation into w un cephblefof sweeping thewhole h rizon,

7 t e g comprises, in edditionto' thej split:;:;,-trails',anjarm-ad'aptedfto be lift'e'd fontf avl 4;

g, and "adapted 'to' be r anchored. ,in-{the 133mm fby 'its free end, inorder to; mount the',-gun in battery position v for-firing over I it:thefwhole' circle of'theho'rizbn. y l 4 v Ina the-drawings, wherein'like reference sition'; 1

i anti'aincraftz 1 anchorlng arms'.

characters indicate like pertsthroughout the sVeralfViewsr-w:. I

side,x;end" and: "plan views, respectively, of :i. portable;ouble-trail; gun in battery" po- ,4 Eigures the 11-21 in gtrevellingposition.

. re "5:isjwdia r mm t View Ffgures 6 and 7 I 1 -v j,ationj' g and acO'rTreSPOnding plane View of e gunzconiprising one Ielnbodiment of thepres entinvent-ionl in thetravellingposition. f 1: FigureJ S'iseplenyiew of a lnodification,

I cements to be'giventovth 'centre' ii 'gm i y'efc the-gu w i The newgun, acoordingto the invention, is constructed. as agun carriage onwheels having a iwide. fieldofffirefzind splititrails, and it ischaracterized by the feature-that taken :by

gun-.ihavingya plurality-of I I i mm designed-permits, whateirer' be themanner not of vthe gun itself, 'butof the system of wheels,;the axle,being, in this modification, carried in the knownmannerb springs 0ncrank arms'of'which the branc 1 parallel to theiaxle-formsai'stub-pxleij Y Figuresfl, and "-;1 1" are" side," res'r and -plan views,respectiyely, of'the. embodiment of Figuresfi end 'l-g showing the guninbatte fplo sitiojn without'rernoyal of the wheels Figure s-fi to thesaddle;

Figure 164 isa planyiew sirnilar" toFigure 14 howing a'modified form ofwheel mount-y in axleiigures 17"and 1?8 are;alside elevation partins'eotiowiind al plan view, respectively, of one for'rn" of '''carriageembodying the Present invention; i I r are 19 is a seetionel' 'viewtaken Tsub-v stantmllyon line 195, 19 of 'I igure'18.

: Figur -20 is a'planyiew on a larger'scale I o f 'the structure shownin Figigljll ei2l is e 'sectionalf'view: taken "sub 're s fa sectional}yiewf taken substan'tlallyfon -lin'ets22e-22 "of-{Figure 21. I"

P es i iveh v iguresizna man a views cwrespmd V ctional view of a device7 for removably seeufing-theexleof the wheels 24 and 25 are sectional,eleva- 1 v t1'on'andp1en viewsfrespectively, '"of an oscillatingrefnovableg i exle adapted for use in fcombinatiomwith the "guncurriegerof the -*'Asshown-inthese the combprises;likethegusual fieldmounted upon wheels b en upon which is 'carr1ed1.the gun carriageproper, formed-by .a' saddle dinithe shape of' a1ring and totwhic areivotedjthe split' trails d.; Tothe saddle,

us, an axle a in t e'forin -offei ringshepedtrack is also 'pivoted'venam e constructed in such aL-Wa thetj itfca'n': beliflsed intovthetravellin posi- -tion 'shown in- Figure 6 iand hooked or, exemplebenea'th thefomdlef inwhich the gun barrel yrecoils. or.Atprecticalrform 20f con- 7' V- a guide track strubtion of theseddleforming will heidescribed hereinafter.i v Figures 6 end lialready showdiagramfiiatic'all. the general constructional priniciples o theinew'. rn, riThe-separable trails d which can be aralsed'in the mannerof'theusuel'treils for travelling purposes,are united by their'ends,these'united ends being adapt- 7 ed to l ehitched on? tojailimber orother tractor ve'hiele bf which'theicoupling hook 7' only isshown u ethet .a-

thus

inwh-ichutiis employed, the en' egement of I theslide andthejrecoll-ofthe'gun arrel withi'nrthe s'add'leg for all inclinationsjeven for firingin-a; vertical position; Th'egun, it will to unhook the trailscl andlower them to the ground and todisengage the arm 6 and also lower itsend upon the'ground. The gun can also be fired with or without anchoringthe wtrails' cl and the arm e.

'Eurther,*the gun can-be mounted in bat- -tery position without removingthe wheels, andjit; maybe transformed, like the usual double trail gunsare transformed, into a gun Q having a wide fieldof fire limited inaz1mutl1. I For thispurpose, it is sufficient, as shown in Figures 9,'10 and 11 in longitudinal eleva- Etion, end elevation andiplan viewrespective- I ly, to separate suitably the-trails dv either as farastheir limiting position shown in full lines, or to an-intermediateposition shown in dot-and-dash lines at d Figure 1 1, and to executefiring-with the wheels bearing on 1 the; ground in the casegwhen theaxle can oscillate transversely; or else the wheels may -be raised asuitable distance abovethe ground by means of the usual lifting jacks hprg:vided at the, ends of the trails, or by means of a lifting jack-hprovided at the {end -of the .-auxiliaryarm @{The gun -ithus mounted inbattery position will be able {to fire :as it would fire on wheels,while bye-v ing ,practically'ready Jiortravelling, the sole,

operation to be ,carriedout in orderto pre @pare the gun for; transportconsisting 1n bringing the trails cl together and lifting the"armein-order to hook it to the cradle. I Finally-the gun; maybe tIa-IISfOIHIGdJIItD *aagun capable of firing over the whole circle of thehorizon, in every way analogous and comparable linits elfects toknownguns capkablepof firing over the'whole of thiscircle andmentionedabove,=simply by removing "the set of wheels whether a trail of wheelsis i xemployed, as in the diagramsshown'in Figwhich is left attached tothe gun carriage, v Figures 12 and 13 show respectively in lon-'gitudinal elevation and in end view the gun 1mountedinxbatterygposition with the train of; wheels removed. Figure 14is a correspondingplan view.' 'F-igure 15shows a simpledeiviceforengaging the axle a on the sad- "dle c, the train ofwheelsbeing then removed in a simple-mannen after removing-theretaining-members; In the modification 1 shown-in diagrammaticplan viewin Figure 16, and more fully in Figure 18, the axle body a}, remainsattacheditothe saddle sand the wheels only areremoved with their crankarms bfithe horizontal branches 6? engaging in sO ketS-formedat the endsof the said axle "body a t r Y Iii-Figures 17-22, the ring 0, forming asaddle and a-guide track, is made up of a -"systemnof plate/stand iron"sections of chanof abnormal stress and under aires 6,:7,'9,1( and 11',or wwheels mounted upon "hcrank arms andengaging upon an axle body thetop carriage m is rotatably mounted within the saddleby means of therollers k which bear upon theseflanges c 0 These rollers maybejournalled in brackets m rigid with the top carriage m; As shown besture 17 the slide 7 supporting the gun g is pivotally mounted on topcarriage m by suitable trunnions suitably positioned with respect tosaddle 0, the height of said trunnions above the plane of the'saddlebeing inpractice less than" the length of slide f to-the rear of saidtrunnions,-which length'is practice less than the distance fromsaid-trunnions to the diametrically'opposite portion of saddle 0. -Withthis construction "the center of gravity of the oscillating mass of thegun is maintained as low "as possible, and yet elevation for high anglefire is permitted with the recoil taking place within annular saddle c.The construction shown inFigures 20-22 permits the rollers to berelieved in the event the stresses set upduring thefiring. i

A shown in these figures, the" axes 0f the rollers la-are journalled inarms npivoted at n to the brackets m by their freepend a flexible membern by means of which the normal stresses, apart a from the firing,whichthe bracket'receivesf from the top "carriage, are transmitted by theroller tothe saddle.

stress carried by the roller. Each of the brackets forms abearing forthe spindle 0 of a-horizontal roller o by means of which the topcarriage bears against the'edge of the flange 0 'ofthe; saddle. Y

In practice, as 'show'n in the figures, the axis 0 instead of beingjournalled' directly in the bracket m is journalled in a sheath 0 whichis pivoted at 0 to thisbracket and vertical inner wall of the bracket.

The movement of this spindle 0 under the influence of this spring is,moreover, limited by a stop m formed upon the bracket. The stops m ofthe various brackets of the gun carriage areadjustable in such a waythat the circle enclosing all the rollers 0 has adiameter very slightlysmaller, than that of the vertical wall of the flange-0 a 7 These farmsform part of a the totalbears by means of a spring 0* upon the This modeof suspension of the bearings of V I Saddle o by} m n g f rming piartofa,

i so

Naturally, I the v, annular: {saddle 0: 'may be provided with a'toothedcrown cfi-upon which 7 formin one of the parts ofg-thej mechanism,

V placing {the top carria of known, constructioml which serves .-for disg n az muth for s1 "is Vantageousto provide 10 a-cross staying de vicebetween, thetrails d and-the, saddles; aiormin'g the guide track.

" the lpivotedat one, gridiatfg} to the corresponding trail A dz" and,c'anibe hooked at, willr'to one or Thispermits'the trails-d to belocked with the I 26 ,ring In in theipositioniindicated: in fullfllinesonfthe-lower halfofFigure 18 ,1 or imposition indicated in fullylinesonifthe :upperjjhalf of :lthis'figure; y 1. Finally, wheng it; isdesired to bring-{the l trails together for travelling purpose, the

' ,25 links 91 are lowered intothe'i position: shown ain-'dot;-jand.-dashglines ijon er half? of s mmed to three-.2 the casewhenther I r and serve for couplingi it tothe transport yehicle. 1 1 ,Twolateral trails will}? then turn about-zany suitablesaxisin such away;that 1 they can-be raised t r g jin t l' e1-ground during L: xTheliftable arm e will: be similar I to that inthetli-ree trailguns;illustrated:z,

In' 'F'gu'res 23-25; the axle 11 carries the f theljhorizontal shaft 8 5During; transportand d '-r ing,=gfi'ri1 g with closed; trails,any-oscillation ,ispreventedaby means of a lockinggpint,'-which.connectsthe axle a team arm.ci.yprojecting'rfromithe' osaddle. a V w so firing s V pell 1 trails, the. locking pin1s-disengaged andrthe axle ean oscillate; about the: pivot in; a. knownfor firing around rtheflwholencii'cle; or the i l horizon, it issufiicient tojwithdrawi'the lock} ing pin wi andllower, "the; hinged"plate din GO' orderltorlib eratetheaxle;-

for anti aircraft firing, an: annular saddle, transportation means:removablyj mounted on othen oflthe lugs: 0; "ore 'giwhen they arehooked-11p b; their opposite; end 7 Finally, 1; iselast mentioned-end beohookedona lug d on 'the corresponding trail."

I 'keorbracket is fixed on the saddle'c. Thissaxles islheldsbyahandwheelcvpi -vojted to 'thel-said yoke landglqcked on theZlatterby alocking 'pinaws -q I gases 5% connected .tof said saddle and providedwith 'g'round fengaging means for supporting said saddle; independentlyof and at substantially the same height as said transportation means, atop carriage for thegun rotatably mounted withinfisaid annular saddleand adapted for trainingthrough 3609, and a gun supporting slidepivotally mountedonsaid top carsriage, the length of. said slide to the.rear of its saidv pivot :point to the diametrically. oppotype adapted tobe rapidly transformed. for

' antiaircraft firing; an'annular saddle,tra nsportation means removablymountedon said saddle; a plurality of trails pivotally .'conl'n'ected'to said saddle vand fpr'ovidedwwith ground engaging, means forsupporting said saddle independently of and at' substantially the sameheight as 3 said transportation means, a top carriagesfor'the gunrotatably 'inounted within .said. annularsaddle and iadapted fortraining thro ugh 360?,anda gun supporting,slidesgpivotally 'mounted onsaidatop' carriage, said saddle, atop carriage 1 and slide being soconstructed and arranged V ,'&S tov permit thetrear eiid-ofsaid slideand;

f gun to pass through the .bore of said annular 3 [saddle forelevat-ionandire'coil purposes."

In :a mount,-an:annular vsaddle, a {top carriage supporting-the gun,means for mounting said topcarriagein said saddle for rotationiftherewithin including a I plurality of brackets; rigid with the top 7carriage circumferential-11y spaced: within the annular saddle; aplurality ofj'arms each intermediate thepiyoted and free endsthereivotally H secured at one end "to; one of saidrackets. and aroll'erjournalled' in each-Lof said arms of; said" rollers travelling inatrack formed byj thel upper? and lower .=-horizontal flanges of s'aid"*saddle; and resilient means, interposed between the free end ofeachof said {arm -and its associated bracket whereby relatiye; imovement ispermitted between i said i rollers and said 3 top carriage under;

stresses exertedup'on the latter. 1

Ag'In a gun mount, an annular "saddle,- a

" top carriage supporting the-gun, means for .m'ounting' said topcarriage inflsaid saddle;

normal for rotationftherewithin including aplu- ,'saddle,-'a-pluralityof arms each pivotally V secured atone end to oneof :said brackets,

may r brackets rigid ,withthe top carriage .11 2 1 ci'rcumferentiallyspaced.withinthe-annular. In, order to remove the t fwnfof Wheels and aroller journalled'in each "of said arms intermediate the pivoted andfree ends there-- of-, .'s'aid rollers travellingin a track formed'lbythe upper and 'lowe r horizontal flanges of said saddle, *and meansfor relieving said 7 rollersj'from abnormal stresses exerted upon saidtop 'ca'rria'ge comprising an upper and a lower boss on each 'of said.brackets, said bosses projecting betweenthe horizontal .pivotpoint'beingless than the distance from I v V n of said saddle but normally, spacedtherefrom, and resilient meansinterposed between the free end of each ofsaid arms and the upper and lower surfaces of said brackets whereby anyabnormal stresses exerted on u said top .carriageffirst'cause relativemovenilent between said carriage and saidrollers until'either the toporbottom boss engages the adjacent flange of said saddle, and arethereafter transmitted directly to said saddle; r j

" 5. In portable gun mount, a saddle ,mounted directlynpon thetransportation means, a top carriage supporting the gun, 1,15"

means'for mountingsaid top carriage in said saddle'for rotation relativethereto including.

one set of roller means having horizontal axes of rotation and anotherset of roller means" having vertical axes of rotation, both :of saidsets;being 1carried by'said top carriage and engaging horizontal andvertical i surfaces, respectively, on said saddle, means -V for'yieldingly' resisting both vertical and horizontal bodily movements ofsaid top carriage relative. to said sets of roller means and saddleunder normal stresses exerted on 'said top carriage, and means for posl-,tively limiting. said movements to predeter- ,3 top carriage relativeto said roller members and saddle in a direction substantiallytransffverseto the axisof rotation under normal w'stresse's exertedonxsaid top carriage, and

fmea-ns for positively limiting said relative ,5 mined amounts wherebyabnormal stresses aref'transmitted directly'from'saidtop car- "riage tosaid saddle; 1

I In a portableigun mount-, a saddle f mounted directly upon thetransportation means, a top carriage supporting the gun,

meansfor mounting saidtop carriage 1n said saddle for rotation relativethereto including i Q] "aplurality of roller members carried by said topcarriage and in bearing engagement with vertical surfa'ce'of' saidsaddle, means for yieldingly resisting bodily movement of said movementto a predeterminedamount whereby abnormal stresses are transmitteddirectly from said top carriage to said saddle.

7; Ina gun mount, an annular saddle, a top carriage supporting the gun,means for mounting said topcarriage in said saddle for"rotationtherewithin including a plurality of brackets rigidlwith thetop carriage circuml ferentially spaced within theannular saddle,

a "plurality of bearing sleeves each pivotally secured at one endto oneof said brackets, and

a rollerjournalled each of said bearing V sleeves and supported therebyin engagement with the vertical face of'said saddle, and resilient meansinterposed between each of said qbearing' sleeves and its associatedbracket jwhereby relative movement is permitted bel J tween said rollersand said top carriage under normal stresses exerted upon the latter.

8. Ina gun mount,an annular saddle, a top carriage supporting the gun,means for mounting said top carriage in said saddle for rotationtherewithin including a plurality of brackets rigid with the topcarriage circumferentially spaced within the annular saddle, a pluralityof bearing sleeves each pivotally secured at one end to one of saidbrackets, and

a roller journalled in each of said bearing sleeves and supportedthereby in engagement with the vertical 'face of said saddle, and meansfor relieving said rollers from abnormal stresses exerted upon said topcarriage comprising an abutting stop formed on each of said brackets,said stops being adjacent the vertical face of said saddle but normallyspaced therefrom, and resilient means interposed between each ofsaid'bearing sleeves

